My goodness, but there are some boring Italian whites around. Really, truly dull. Not actually horrible, mind, but characterless, neutral, forgettable. Altogether like a spritzer that has lost its spritz. Which is just not on when there are plenty of fresh, zesty, fruit-packed whites from other countries available to us lucky British drinkers.

But Italian whites can be spectacularly good: subtle, elegant and complex, beguiling, multi-dimensional. How to find them? Give the very cheapest bottles of PG, soave and verdicchio a wide berth. There are more serious versions of these wines, but you’ll have to trade up to the better producers, often those working with the fruit from single, premium vineyards, and probably lower-cropping, older vines. Higher skills and smaller crops mean more flavour.

Or sniff out some of Italy’s less well-known varieties in search of more character. Gavi, which hails from the Piedmont region, is made with the cortese grape; a decent example has a lime and angelica flavour, with hints of aniseed and vanilla. Arneis, from the same area, has a nutty almond or hazelnut hint. Lugana, from Lake Garda, gives us a purity of citrus and apple fruit and a clean, mineral finish that makes it a great match for fresh trout. Top soave should be properly fruity, with a creamy roundness.

Fish and seafood are indeed the natural partners for all these wines. Not rich salmon or tuna, but white fish, prawns, scallops. Or leafy salads (hold the vinegar), the lightest chicken dishes and creamy pasta sauces. Gentle fare, since these wines are not extroverts, just quieter souls with something interesting to say.

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Marco Porello Roero Arneis 2009 (Majestic, £9.99 or £7.99 for two or more)

Another one from north-west Italy, and this time a young, snappy white, golden-yellow with a crisp apple quality and hazelnut finish. An excellent partner for summery risottos

Taste the Difference Gavi 2009, Piedmont (Sainsbury’s, £7.49)

Subtle layers of flavour keep appearing in this impressive dry gavi. The new vintage has a whiff of wood smoke, with aniseed on the palate and a crisp, mineral finish. Superb with prawns in a tomato and garlic sauce

Monteforte Passo Avanti Soave 2008, Veneto (Waitrose, £7.99)

A superior soave, fruitier and aromatic with a cocktail of pears, limes and bananas on the finish. It’s made by the New Zealander Matt Thompson, which explains the New World character

'Snap up the new half-bottles of Valdo Marca Oro prosecco, available in Sainsbury’s for just £3.79. A small bottle is just enough to give two people a refreshing glass each of this lively, citrus-tinged Italian fizz. At just 11 per cent, it’s perfect for alfresco summer lunches’